The Black Rivalry
by Jade the Silver Princess
Summary: The rivalry had started as fun for the two of them - as a way to escape their family but soon the sides had eaten and took apart the two and the rivalry had changed and ended in death.


**A/N: I own nothing you can recognize!**

 **I am Jade, seeker for the Appleby Arrows and this was written for Round 12 - Pair Them Up!**

 **Harry Potter is an amazing fandom for writers. There are so many pairings out there that another person might look at with wide eyes and say, 'what on Earth are you thinking?' To you, however, you may just love that pairing. This round, everyone is given the same 16 characters. It is your choice, however, how you decide to pair them. If something like Dobby and Umbridge in a romantic relationship is your thing, then sure, we won't judge you. All characters can only be used once within your team (eg. If the captain chooses Harry/Ginny, your Keeper can then not use Harry OR Ginny.)**

 **SEEKER: You'll be writing about two characters in a competitive/rival relationship (positive or negative)**

 **My characters: Sirius Black & Bellatrix Lestrange**

 **Word count without A/N: 1 422**

 **The Black Rivalry**

Long ago, before Voldemort and before Death had decided to take the family, the Blacks had strived to hold a neutral position and be respected by all. Now, in these days, no one remembered the times before. Even the Blacks had forgotten about it. To them, it seemed like the peacefulness had never existed there, inside the family. Well, all had forgotten except for two. These two had to admit the truth, that once, Blacks lived differently and strived for peace. They should know, for it was them who destroyed the family's peace in the first place.

oOoOo

She was the oldest daughter of the family. As the eldest of three, everyone in the wizarding community knew about her. Her hair was as black as her name and unruly, but it never destroyed her image that demanded respect Her eyes were as dark and as cold as she was. Indeed, she was a real beauty but her family still wanted her to change. They said multiple times that she was too violent and so unladylike. Little did the family know that their belittling of her, Bellatrix Black, would give her the reason to approach the oldest son of the family.

His hair was black and his eyes grey, full of mischief. He was a light-hearted young man but he was also a lazy person who only cared for his three friends, never his family. As he cared not for his family, they cared not for him. They detested his behavior so it was a big surprise when he was approached by Bella, the oldest daughter of the family and his cousin.

"Sirius," the girl had said.

"Bellatrix," he said, trying to hide his surprise.

"I noticed something," she started. "We are similar."

"You don't say!" Sirius said mockingly. "We are Blacks, Bella."

Bella ignored his jab and said, "I have an idea… It would make our lives more… interesting."

That got his attention and he said, "I'm listening."

"As you know, our family is trying to adopt a neutral position in this war..."

"Bella, I am no Snake. Speak clearly," Sirius said, interrupting her.

"Fine," she huffed. "I want you to rebel with me against our family."

"What do you mean by that, Bella?" Sirius asked, warning lights blinking rapidly in his head.

"Are you dumb?" Bella asked rhetorically. "We both know that you want to follow your merry little band of friends and join the Light. I want to go Dark and join _Him_."

"Bella..." Sirius said sighing. "Do you realize what that would mean?"

"Yes, I do. We'd become rivals."

"Bella, what if one of us dies because of this? What if you are forced to kill me? Could you do that? Could you look into my eyes and kill me?"

"Sirius..." she said, warning him not to continue.

"Fine, but I am telling you, this will come back and bite us both."

Sirius had said that as if he had already known about the future.

oOoOo

Time passed and the two had almost forgotten that they had arranged everything. They would fight in battles and wound many, losing themselves in magic that sizzled around them. They became famous, the two of them. It was called the Black Rivalry and many feared the day the two would engage in a battle for one final time. Both were formidable and both excluded power that extracted fear from their enemies.

Bella never regretted the fact that she took so many lives. She laughed while she killed and her fellow Death Eaters feared her, thought her unstable but the Dark Lord loved her. He loved her but not in the romantic sense of the word. Maybe, it wasn't even love but everyone had chosen that word to describe it, both light and dark. While others noticed how Voldemort behaved towards her, she had not. Her mind stayed on only one person and that person had helped her to change the way everyone, including her family, viewed her as.

oOoOo

The first war against Voldemort had ended and the light was victorious. Bella had gone and made a last stand at the Longbottoms' place. She had tortured them and left a child parentless. She didn't care, she had already sold her soul to the devil himself. She was caught that night and shipped off to Azkaban. She laughed all the way to the prison but no one knew why.

Sirius had also ended up there, in Azkaban. He thought it ironic that he, the one on the light side in the Black Rivalry, would be imprisoned in the same place. The only comfort he had was that he was shipped there for a crime he did not commit. It was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

Both of the occupants thought it ironic that they were in neighbouring cells.

"Well, well, well… We meet yet again," Bella said, her voice raspy.

"It seems we do, dear cousin," Sirius said bitterly.

"Tell me, Sirius, what brings you here?"

"Irony, Bella, irony," he replied quietly.

The two bickered for a few years. They mocked each other and annoyed dementors and Aurors together. The two seemed like enemies and yet not.

Aurors would laugh and say that the two had fought for nothing, but then the wiser Aurors would remind them that the two had fooled everyone with the rivalry that had become so famous in the passing war.

While the gossip and everything else circled around, the two were forced to re-live their worst memories. Within time, to preserve themselves or what was left of them, the two hid their memories away and it might've been too deep as later, when they would need them, they would not have them—they would not remember them.

oOoOo

 _"Did you actually believe, or are you truly naive enough to think, that children stood a chance against us? I'll make this simple for you, Potter. Give me the prophecy now... or watch your friends die." Lucius Malfoy had said that night and Sirius heard it._

 _"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..." Bella heard the faint sound._

 _"We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary…" Sirius heard him but tuned him out._

 _It was too fast, she wasn't thinking, she had fired a curse, he was dead. She could barely remember it or she could but too late. How could she forget? He was right that night so long ago._

" _Come on, you can do better than that!" That was the last he had told her. Did he remember or had they both forgotten? She hated herself but nevertheless, she had to continue the fight._

"Come out, come out, little Harry! What did you come after me for, then? I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin!"

"I am!"

"Aaaaaah... did you love him, little baby Potter?"

 _She had thought that she had taunted Potter that evening but in fact, she taunted herself. Why had they become rivals? It was all hazy to her._

oOoOo

"You - will - never - touch - our - children - again!' screamed Mrs. Weasley.  
Bellatrix had laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given her as he toppled backwards through the veil. She knew this was the end but she no longer cared.

Molly's curse soared beneath Bella's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.  
Bellatrix's gloating smile froze just like her cousin's had, her eyes bulged. For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled hearing the roaring crowd and Voldemort's scream.

oOoOo

The rivalry had started as fun for the two of them - as a way to escape their family but soon the sides had eaten and took apart the two and the rivalry had changed and ended in death.

 **The End**


End file.
